Finally, JuJu Watkins could exhale.
When Kayla Padilla drew a foul with 14.3 seconds left with USC up by six, Watkins, the Trojans’ star freshman, raised her arms toward the crowd and flashed an exhausted, relieved smile. The sold-out crowd responded to its newest hometown hero by rising to its feet.
Watkins led the Trojans to a 73-65 victory that avenged their only loss of the season and handed their crosstown rivals their first defeat. The star guard’s 32 points helped the No. 9 Trojans (13-1, 3-1 Pac-12) end a nine-game losing streak to the Bruins (14-1, 3-1 Pac-12).